October PADI IDC Launches with a Week of Free Diving and Skill Refreshers at Oceans 5 Gili Air

The Journey Begins: October PADI IDC Launches with a Week of Free Diving and Skill Refreshers at Oceans 5 Gili Air

The long-awaited PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) at Oceans 5 Gili Air begins on the 15th of October, and all our candidates have officially arrived on the island. Excitement fills the dive shop as faces—some new, some familiar—come together with one shared goal: to become confident, employable, environmentally aware PADI Instructors who can work anywhere in the world. But before the IDC even starts, something special happens at Oceans 5—something most dive centers don’t offer.

Instead of throwing candidates straight into classroom sessions, exams, and presentations, Oceans 5 Gili Air begins the transformation with a full week of free diving, skill demonstration refreshers, and professional-level practice. This preparatory week is not only a confidence boost—it’s one of the core reasons why Oceans 5 candidates excel, perform under less stress, and arrive at the official start of the IDC already ahead of the curve.

A Head Start Before Day One

The week prior to the IDC is designed to give incoming candidates time to settle in, reconnect with their diving abilities, and ease into the instructor mindset. There is no pressure, no scoreboard, and no exam anxiety—only positive momentum and focused preparation.

Today, just like most days in this preparation week, the candidates are diving both morning dives with our instructors. In the afternoon, they will join in the pool for a complete skill circuit. This combination—ocean dives plus pool demonstrations—does two important things:

1. It builds comfort and muscle memory, especially for those who haven’t been diving regularly in recent weeks.

2. It frees up time during the official IDC, so candidates can focus on higher-level workshops rather than spending the first days catching up.

Most IDC centers skip this week entirely, or they offer a rushed half-day “refresher.” At Oceans 5, it’s completely different. We dedicate an entire week so every candidate walks into Day One feeling comfortable in their equipment, mentally ready, and physically prepared to perform demonstration-quality skills.

Not Just the IE Skills—All the Open Water Skills

In many IDCs around the world, the focus lies heavily on the PADI Instructor Examination skill circuit—a short list of demonstrations candidates need to perform for the IE. But at Oceans 5 Gili Air, the philosophy goes much deeper.

Our in-house PADI Course Director, Waz, doesn’t just drill the mandatory 24 skills. He goes beyond them. He introduces additional open water skills that instructors often need to teach in the real world but are not covered in the IE. Why? Because PADI Instructors don’t just teach towards an exam—they teach to real divers with real needs in real situations.

This is exactly what sets our IDC apart. While other centers focus on “ticking the boxes,” we focus on producing instructors who can:

• Demonstrate skills clearly to brand-new divers

• Recognize and correct common student problems underwater

• Adapt teaching strategies to different environments

• Manage groups confidently on land, in the pool, and in open water

• Maintain safety and environmental awareness while teaching

At Oceans 5, you don’t just pass the exam—you become an instructor.

Why an Extended IDC Makes a Difference

Our IDC takes more time than the minimum PADI requirement, and that is deliberate. The extra time allows us to include:

• Additional open water skill workshops

• Multiple rescue practice sessions

• Neutral buoyancy skill teaching techniques

• Environmental awareness integration

• Marketing and career preparation guidance

• Micro-teaching in both confined and open water settings

• Scenario-based problem solving

When candidates begin the IDC after a week of practice dives and skill work, they don’t waste time struggling with forgotten techniques. Instead, they immediately move into fine-tuning, applying teaching methods, and building confidence as future instructors.

Most dive shops prepare candidates only to pass the Instructor Examination. Oceans 5 prepares them to work as professional dive instructors from the moment they get their certification.

Free Diving Week: A Strategic Advantage

This pre-IDC week is not charged. It is part of the commitment Oceans 5 Gili Air has made to quality training, not quick turnover. It gives candidates time to:

✅ Refresh Diving Fitness and Comfort

For some, it has been weeks or months since their last dive. By diving every day before the start, they adjust to currents, equipment, buoyancy, and procedures. Breathing techniques, trim, and communication are all refreshed in real diving conditions.

✅ Practice Demonstration-Quality Skills

Every IDC candidate remembers the skill circuit from their Divemaster training. But what was once scored for divemaster level is now expected at instructor level. That means precision, control, clarity, and exaggerated movement. By rehearsing skills in the pool before the IDC, candidates remove uncertainty early.

✅ Build Team Spirit Early

IDC candidates often come from different countries, backgrounds, and experience levels. Diving and training together before the course helps them bond as a team. During the IDC, this support system creates a more enjoyable, stress-free environment.

✅ Maximize Time for Workshops During the IDC

Because the basics are covered in advance, the formal IDC focuses on teaching presentations, real-world situations, environmental considerations, student control, professional standards, incident management, and leadership.

Waz’s Approach: Beyond the Curriculum

Many PADI Course Directors train for the IE requirements only. Waz takes a completely different approach. His belief is simple:

A good instructor doesn’t exist because they passed the IE. A good instructor exists because they can teach any student, in any environment, with confidence and clarity.

That is why during this preparation week and throughout the IDC, he includes:

• Alternative skill variations

• Corrective strategies for student difficulties

• Role-play for instructor, student, and divemaster

• Buoyancy-based teaching (no kneeling on the bottom)

• Communication and positioning techniques

• Real rescue skill refreshers beyond the IE requirements

This ensures that when our candidates pass the exam, they don’t stand there wondering “What happens now?” They already know what to do because they’ve practiced it.

IE Skills vs Real Teaching Skills

Many IDC providers limit skill training to the IE evaluation list because that is what gets a passing score. But Oceans 5 believes the ocean doesn’t care what the IE list says. Students don’t either. They need instructors who can:

• Demonstrate mask removal neutrally buoyant

• Control a panicking diver calmly

• Assist with equipment problems mid-water

• Manage anxious students in a confined water environment

• Supervise open water divers with awareness and precision

That is why the preparation week is not a bonus—it is the first step in professional transformation.

Better Trained = Better Employability

Dive centers worldwide are no longer looking for instructors who only know how to pass an exam. They want instructors who can:

• Teach students safely without damaging coral

• Handle diverse conditions (currents, visibility, boat entries, etc.)

• Work confidently with real customers from day one

• Integrate environmental responsibility into every dive

• Communicate professionally with teams and guests

• Contribute to conservation efforts when teaching in marine parks

Oceans 5 Gili Air has created an IDC program that produces exactly that kind of professional. Our graduates are sought after because dive centers know they:

• Come from a structured but flexible IDC program

• Have practiced more than the basics

• Trained under neutral buoyancy methods

• Went through real rescue retraining

• Developed teaching confidence early

• Worked in a marine park environment during training

When candidates train here, they don’t just graduate—they arrive in the dive industry ready.

Why the Extra Week Matters Mentally and Emotionally

Confidence is one of the most valuable skills an instructor can have. But confidence doesn’t come from reading the Instructor Manual or sitting through PowerPoints. It comes from movement, muscle memory, repetition, time in the water, and supportive guidance.

This is why the week before the IDC is so powerful:

• Candidates shake off nerves before the official program starts.

• They identify and correct weak areas early.

• They re-learn communication with instructors and fellow divers.

• They relax into the rhythm of the ocean and the pool.

• They start the IDC already feeling like future instructors, not students.

There is no “shock” on day one. No panic about the first skill circuit. No anxiety about mock presentations. Instead, they enter with clarity, focus, and excitement.

Oceans 5: Training Instructors for the Real World

Some people still think the IDC is about passing the IE. But the IE is just a checkpoint. The real goal is to become a PADI Instructor who can:

• Lead courses confidently

• Teach safely with minimal stress

• Handle emergencies efficiently

• Represent the diving industry professionally

• Protect marine environments actively

• Train students of all backgrounds and abilities

At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we don’t train candidates for the Instructor Examination—we train them beyond it.

We don’t tick the boxes of the required PADI curriculum and stop there. We expand on it. We challenge it. We fill the gaps that real work experience demands.

That is why our IDC takes more time, why our candidates are stronger, and why employers around the world know the difference when someone trained at Oceans 5.

The Start of an Unforgettable Journey

With the IDC starting on October 15th, the journey to becoming a dive instructor has already begun for our candidates—even if the official schedule hasn’t. They are already underwater practicing. Already bonding. Already learning. Already transforming.

And that first week—full of diving, pool sessions, and skill refinement—isn’t just a warm-up. It is the foundation of their success.

Here at Oceans 5 Gili Air, we don’t create instructors who only know how to get through the IE. We create instructors who are prepared to lead classes, protect the environment, and work anywhere in the world with professionalism and passion.

Because confidence isn’t taught in a classroom. It starts in the water.

And that is exactly where our candidates are today.